Employer must rehire employee for economic reasons even if another person is hired in the same role.

The Supreme Court ruled that an employer must reinstate a worker dismissed for economic reasons if they hire someone else in the same role. The plaintiff argued that hiring a new employee invalidated her right to return, while the employer contended that re-evaluating qualifications was necessary. The court held that the statutory obligation to reinstate is absolute in such cases, making the hiring of a replacement irrelevant to the original worker's claim.